Children who were among the 77 people freed from the underground cell of the Whole Bible Believers Church, also called "Ondo Church," in the Ondo West Local Government Area, have refused to go with their parents unless their pastors are released by the police.
The twist appeared even more incredible on Monday at the police headquarters as the parents of the bulk of the victims grieved over their children's refusal to come home with them as a result of the alleged hypnosis.
Some of the parents who surrounded the Ondo Command police headquarters claimed their children pledged not to leave the facility until the pastors who were jailed were freed.
The children had been subjected to "black magic," the parents alleged, and they requested that a thorough psychological examination be performed on the victims.
One of the victims' father, Michael Olohunyomi, claimed that his daughter Priscilla, 21, had been skipping meals since Saturday because she thought the pastor ought to be released.
The grieving father sobbed, "I was a member of that church and I was there for 32 years. Everything changed when Peter Josiah was chosen to serve as the church's assistant pastor. He spread damaging heresy.
The victim's brother, Wande Oladapo, expressed surprise that his 40-year-old relative could be hypnotised and said, "My brother has refused to go home after he was freed on Saturday. He resolved never to leave his pastor alone in the cell.
"Despite all of our efforts and attempts to soothe them, some of the victims refused to go home and maintained that they would stay here," said Funmilayo Odunlami, the state's police public relations officer, in response to the incident.
One of our kids said she preferred to follow the Lord to her parents.
The state administration is working to rehabilitate the victims, according to Princess Bunmi Osadahun, State Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development.